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Best Poems Written by Art Wright

Below are the all-time best Art Wright poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

Details | Art Wright Poem

The Orange Seed

I came upon a tribe one day
in a land not far away
where everyone gets what they need
from juices of an orange seed

Some who drank the juice had died
and so the tribe felt satisfied
that they had weeded out the weak
with the help of orange seed

Some fell asleep the whole day long
for orange juice was very strong
and never felt an ounce of pain
with not a care to cross the brain

But others would feel more awake
with every little drop they’d take
They’d run and dance and twitch and shake
and never need to take a break

Still others would get sick and green
like a flu they’d never seen
The only really certain cure
was “Never touch the juice no more”

For some, the drug would change their mood
to dumb and brutal, cruel and rude
But even those would find their use
in the tribe of orange juice

Of course, a few got very wise
had visions right before their eyes
Surely, God chose them to lead
with blessings from the orange seed

So anyone made dull and tired
were rounded up and all required
to work all day or face the noose
and never touch the orange juice

But those the seed would energize
were thereby made to supervise
the work so tedious and tough
while sipping on the orange stuff

And those for whom the seed caused harm,
were duly trained to run the farm
All day to sneeze and cough  non-stop
yet trusted with the precious crop

And anyone turned cruel, it’s true
got plenty of the orange brew
you could guess what jobs they do
and who they really answer to

Not leaders who hallucinate
that everything is going great
nor all the rest who get their dose
(except the ones that need it most)

Not any man or myth or god
nor any beast of sea or sod
but just a noxious little weed
with a toxic little orange seed

There may be some as I suspect
for whom the seed has no effect
I doubt that they’re allowed to stay
they wouldn’t want to anyway

Details | Art Wright Poem

The Project Manager

"Mr. Nelson, you are brought
before this very board
to answer for some variance
that cannot be ignored
your project shows completion
thirteen months ahead of time
the stakeholders are happy
and you haven’t spent a dime
normally this type of thing
is very well and good
but your forecast did not show this
as you must have known it should
this deviation shall be factored
in your pay review
the auditors have other things
that you must answer to
approval on requirements
approval on design
all seem to have gone missing
Nelson, have you lost your mind?
and what about the risk review
they’ll surely want to see
what made you think you could ignore
our methodology?
and so he spoke in his defense,
"well sir I must admit it.
it was a simple, harmless change.
we went ahead and did it".

Details | Art Wright Poem

No Man Stands Alone - the Ballad of Barney Ross

CHORUS
No man stands alone
in the street, the ring or the combat zone
some lay in the gutter
some sit on a throne
but no man stands alone

At the age of fourteen 
he had a dream
to become a rabbi 
Chicago 1924
then his dad was killed by men
who tried to rob the family store
his brothers and sisters were sent away
to an orphanage where they would stay
and though his faith was blown away
he vowed to bring them home someday

To God and man revenge he swore
he walked with gamblers, 
hoods and whores
he fit right in 
then on a whim
he walked into a boxing gym
he fought Canzoneri in ‘33
for the lightweight title victory
he made up with God 
and finally
he could reclaim his family

Those McLarnon fights 
were the stuff of lore
the only man 
to ever put him on the floor
he won two out of three, 
then in the Armstrong bout
he nearly died 
but was never knocked out
then in 1941
the Japanese pulled a sneaky one
so he joined the marines 
and he got a gun
and he sailed into the rising sun

On Guadalcanal, 
he fought so brave
overmatched like old King Dave
he put twenty attackers 
in an early grave
for the one marine 
whose life he saved
in a hospital bed 
for months and days
they kept him in a morphine haze
then sent him home 
strung out and beat
to the pushers on the mean, mean street

Hollywood was very keen
to put his story on the silver screen
but they focused on the drug abuse
he tried to sue 
but what’s the use?
Barney Ross was brave and strong
they couldn’t keep him down for long
his rabbi said that he must try
to be a model Jew in the public eye

but from the public eye he slipped
like a phantom radar blip
they say he hunted Nazi criminals
and he ran some guns to Israel

Barney Ross was brave and strong
I thought that he deserved a song
he did some bad
he did some good
and he saved the world
the best he could

Details | Art Wright Poem

You Have Been Cautioned

CAUTION: 
the contents of this coffee cup may be HOT 
please be careful not to burn yourself or others 
the contents may also be wet 
spillage may result in slipping hazards 
the shorting out of electrical equipment 
electrocution and death 
or a possibly an embarrassing stain on the pants 
the contents of this coffee cup may also be COLD 
sudden violent reactions from sipping yesterday’s coffee 
carelessly left on your desk 
could dislocate any number of bodily joints, 
scare fellow employees or, 
result in the accidental send of that questionable email 
you will later regret 
the contents of this coffee cup may not even be coffee 
please do not accept beverages in this, or any other cup 
from people you do not know 
unless they are clearly identifiable representatives 
of a reputable establishment or the government 
this cup should not be used to contain any non-digestible substances, 
especially petroleum based products and radioactive material 
please, please, please - do not eat this cup 
although this cup may be distributed via a drive-through service 
do not utilize this cup, (or read this warning label), while operating a motor vehicle 
please exercise extreme caution while transporting this cup, 
from the vehicle to the stationary location where you may enjoy it safely 
this cup is not a toy 
please keep it out of the reach of children 
(on second thought, since any well-motivated and mischievous child 
can probably find a way to reach it… 
best to clutch it at all times until you are finished and can dispose of it properly) 
please consult our website for proper disposal techniques 
do not use this cup to eavesdrop on your neighbors through the wall 
doing so could expose you to potentially disturbing, or dangerous information 
this cup is NOT a life preserver 
using it in this manner could result in legal action 
from the drowning victim’s family 
if other more suitable floatation devices are proved to have been available 
this cup is not sanctioned for use in any religious rituals 
especially those in which someone may get hurt 
for any other questions or concerns regarding the safe use of this product 
please consult our website under the “Common Sense” link 
any attempt to sue the manufacturer or authorized distributor of this product 
for any calamity arising from its use or misuse 
will be met with a team of lawyers that will eat you for lunch 
and leave you to use this cup for begging on the street corner 
you MAY use it for this purpose 
YOU HAVE BEEN CAUTIONED 
please sign here: 
and enjoy your beverage 

By Art Wright

Details | Art Wright Poem

Birds

The sparrow’s endless knowledge
makes the owl get uptight
the owl’s got true wisdom
but he operates at night
the magpie keeps on chirpin’
that the raven’s coming near
that rappin, yappin, tappin,
nevermore I wish to hear
and as I look up into the morning sky
four and twenty blackbirds
escape from a pie
the king is in his counting house
numbers are his words
but all I hear are birds

The rooster cheats upon his hen
with an old peacock
as he thinks about the lovely swan
and then he hears a knock
someone’s called a film crew
and the ghost of old Hitchcock
the dirty bird says “spread the word,
there’s pigeons in our flock"
and as I look up
the feathers start to fly
celluloid like rocket tails
goes streaming ‘cross the sky
the rooster hits the pigeon
with fowl adjectives and verbs
but all I hear are birds

Some say the raven and the hawk
are planning on a coup
the owl and the sparrow
argue til their beaks are blue
the magpie says, “I told you so,
my dreams are coming true”
the rooster mounts
the king just counts
so nothing much is new
and as I look up
into the evening sky
the pigeon’s disappearance
leaves the hens to wail and cry
a rapping and a tapping
starts ringing in my ear
but birds are all I hear

Details | Art Wright Poem

I Pity the Poor Protester - a Song

I Pity the Poor Protester 
as he tries to make his case 
discredited at every turn 
by the ones who run this place 
now he’s got some big ideas 
with new tools in his hand 
and he still can’t put it down in words 
that they will understand 

CHORUS 
To cut these iron chains 
Tear down the old machines 
Will take more than words 
Will take more than dreams 

I Pity the Poor Protester 
as he takes his virgin punch 
in the basement of his enemies 
while his friends are out to lunch 
and if his idealism turns to hatred and disgust 
he’ll be no stronger, and no longer 
someone you can trust 
but if he’s genuine 
to shake him from his cause 
will take more than fists 
will take more than laws 

CHORUS 

I Pity the Poor Protester 
I really wish him well 
though his message may be muddled 
it rings clear as a bell 
for through his growing network 
if you read between the lines 
injustice comes in many forms 
and comes too many times 
he’s losing everything 
some have too much to lose 
I Pity the Poor Protester 
now whose side do you choose?

Details | Art Wright Poem

Such a World

One too sweet
one too street
together make this world complete
their mother is the air we breathe
such a world a man can’t leave

By Art Wright

Details | Art Wright Poem

On Genius

Genius rewarded - a blessing
Genius ignored is a curse
Genius amiss is depressing
Genius insisted is worse

Details | Art Wright Poem

My Final Word On War

The fingers of the upper hand
that never clutched a mound of sand
that sign a suicide command
with lethal scribbling tool
would better serve us as a whole
to grip a jagged lump of coal
and shove into a tiny hole
to squeeze into a jewel

And if you doubt this would succeed
not any more than wars of greed
then you are very wise indeed
well…either wise or poor
and though I’m not  a pacifist
on this one thing I must insist
a man must only use his fist
for good worth fighting for

But seldom does war fit the case
of justice or almighty grace
to save a people or a place
of this you can be sure
Peculiar to the human breed
I mentioned once the sin of greed
which turns a want into a need
too potent to ignore
 
And so we poets wail of war
(when not of lovers named Lenore)
with words like “roar” and “gore” and “whore”
so dull and overused 
they only bore and cause to snore
the ones who would commit a war
who gather up the fighting corps
with flag and cross abused

Who steer the murder ships to shore
who shatter buildings floor by floor
who summon hell from metal ore
who arm death squads in Salvador
who kill the children of Dafur
and other crimes I can’t endure
who poke at wounds to keep them sore
whose fingers twitch forevermore
until they count the final score
I see you’re not amused

But that’s my final word on war
so I will spare you Senator
from more of this insipid lore
I don’t know what I blather for
for I am but an amateur
now kindly show me to the door
and through this bloody corridor
and let me be excused

Details | Art Wright Poem

Guilty of Everything

Brandon’s lawyer phone him up
he said “I’ll make it quick.
a big indictment’s coming down
they want to make it stick
they’ve been on you since ‘82
got evidence in piles
witnesses and wiretaps
and photographs and files

Every law upon the books
you’ve broken and maligned
with every bill upon the hill
still waiting to be signed
all of God’s commandments
and those he just implied
even laws of nature
you’ve left them all defied 

Guilty of everything
no precedent
guilty of everything
‘til you’re proven innocent

Ever since the dawn of time
not once in history
has a man been charged 
with EVERY crime
it’s plain to see
there must be some technicality”.

So after the acquittal 
he gave some interviews
no one ever saw a man
so worthy of the news
and as for Brandon’s lawyer
the accomplice to the crime
with new laws written everyday
he’s working overtime